suicide

Military veterans who experience combat trauma are at a higher risk of suicide than others who experience post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Across the country, an average of 20 veterans per day take their own lives. That is more than 7,000 per year. Where can veterans get help? How do friends and loved ones recognize the symptoms? Can the government do more?

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Phone Lines:
462-5000 on Oahu or 800-238-4847 on the Neighbor Islands.

This episode features stories from the 2017 HIKI NŌ Fall Challenge. In September of 2017, five high schools and nine middle schools participated in a challenge in which teams had exactly four days to conceptualize, shoot, write, and edit a HIKI NŌ story based on a specific theme. No work could be done on the stories prior to the production window because the theme was not revealed until the start of the four-day sprint. The theme of this challenge was “What it’s Like to Walk in Another Person’s Shoes.” No teachers, or adults of any kind, could provide hands-on assistance. It was all up to the students.

TOP STORIES
Included in this episode are the winners of the Middle School and High School Divisions of the 2017 HIKI NŌ Fall Challenge. The Middle School winners were from ‘Ewa Makai Middle School in the ‘Ewa district of O‘ahu. Their story “Lolita” features a drag queen in his early 20s who explains how taking on his drag persona of Lolita gives him confidence and helps him cope with a sometimes difficult life. The winning High School story, “Hurricane Harvey Relief,” was created by students at Kalaheo High School in Windward O‘ahu. It follows a group of volunteers who put themselves in the shoes of Houston’s Hurricane Harvey victims and helped to collect goods toward the relief effort.

ALSO FEATURED
–Students from Maui High School created a story about what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a teen transitioning to a new gender.

–Students from Kapa‘a High School on Kaua‘i featured the school band president who is successful at what he does because he tries to walk in the shoes of his fellow musicians.

–Students from Wai‘anae High School in West O‘ahu stress the importance of empathy in dealing with people who suffer from a very painful condition known as Fibromyalgia.

–Students from Kamehameha Schools Maui Middle show us that walking in the shoes of someone who moved to Hawaiʻi for a better life helps us to better appreciate our island home.

–Students from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kaua‘i help us to consider what it’s like being a teenager who is prone to suicide.

–Students from Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului tell the story of a cobbler who creates custom shoes for people who can’t wear conventional footwear.

This program encores Saturday, Sept. 8, at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Sept. 9, at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.

The leading cause of fatal injuries among 15-to-24-year-olds in Hawai‘i is suicide. On the next INSIGHTS, we’ll talk with local professionals who work with teens, their families and schools. We’ll also hear from Paul Gionfrido, CEO of Mental Health America, who calls suicide “a stage-four event in a mental illness.” He explains that it usually takes years for a person to decide to die by suicide. What do we need to know and understand about teen suicide in Hawai‘i?

Additional Information

Suicide Prevention Lifeline for Teens and Young Adults
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

At a first-of-its-kind PTSD treatment center in California, follow Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families on their paths to recovery as they attempt to make peace with their pasts, their loved ones and themselves.